


The Brief Type

by heyHEYOhSorry



Category: The Bold Type
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-23
Updated: 2018-12-15
Packaged: 2019-06-14 18:27:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,749
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15394782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heyHEYOhSorry/pseuds/heyHEYOhSorry
Summary: A collection of pieces that explore the complicated yet beautiful relationship between Kat Edison and Adena El-Amin





	1. Third Time’s The Charm

Adena can’t help but laugh at Kat’s shocked face when she opens her apartment door and pulls Kat over the threshold with her.

Even though she’s the one walking backwards, Kat’s the who stumbles over her feet as she kisses her, leading Kat through the living room to her bedroom in the back.

“You had to know this was coming, Kat.” Adena teases, stepping out of her embrace to grab the sides of her dress and slip it off over her ears, taking her hair wrap off too, and letting her hair fall down.

”This _is_ our third date.”

Kat’s trying to decide if Adena in underwear and Doc Martins is absolutely ridiculous or incredibly hot.

“I’m sorry, when I fucked you in the airport I forgot you were a classy girl.” Of course, that had been more than just sex. It had been a promise, a goodbye, a confession. Kat had fallen asleep cuddling Adena wondering if they had just made love.

“Yes, but I didn’t sleep with you after our last date.” Adena replies.

“You didn’t.” Kat agreed, reaching out towards Adena and pulling her waist towards her. Kat decides that it’s both, ridiculous and hot. “Thank goodness I live alone so i could loudly deal with that frustration.” Kat mumbles into Adena’s ear, before planting kisses along Adena’s neck

“I didn’t want you to think I was easy.”Adena retorts. 

Kat snorts, “Too late.”

Adena laughs and Kat relishes in the sound, and the playfulness, and the lightness Adena carries now that the Visa issue is all over. Now that Adena can stay.

“Hey, you’re the one who sent me a topless photo after the first day we met.” Adena slips her hands under Kat’s shirt, working at her bra clasp.

“Hmm, but by that time I had already had a rather vivid sex dream of you, and you were extremely easy in that dream.” Kat lets out a gasp as Adena’s hands brush against her breasts.

“You’ve had a sex dream about me?”, semi-surprised that formerly heterosexual Kat has so quickly embraced sex with a woman. 

“I’ve had many sex dreams about you.” Kat’s thumbs rub circles around Adena’s hip bones.

“Did I live up the hype?”

“Well… I’ve only had that one time to compare it to, but third time’s the charm.” Kat says, walking Adena back towards the bed.

“But this is—“

“Oh no, Ms. El-Amin, prepare yourself for a long night.”

Kat kisses Adena, kicking off her booties, and falling on top of her. Adena can’t wait.


	2. Third Time’s The Charm

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Just wanted to write a piece where even if Adena & Kat mess up their relationship, the love between them still exists  
> Title from Tegan & Sara song Boyfriend

It’s not an unusual night for them. 

Kat’s over. Her head resting in Adena’s lap as they stay up late watching a classic movie, tonight’s _The Philadelphia Story_. 

There’s something wrong with Kat. Adena knows because Kat hasn’t made one saucy comment about Cary Grant’s “swagger”. Something Adena knows from past viewings of _His Girl Friday_ Kat is very passionate about. This entire night Kat has been quiet, her typical commentary non-existent. But Adena doesn’t pressure her on what’s wrong, she knows Kat will share when she’s ready. Instead she runs her fingers through the curls of Kat’s hair.

“Maddy and I broke up.” Kat says, moments later. Her face still staring ahead at the screen. Which is a gift, because Adena’s not sure what to say. Relationships is still a topic they don’t broach. Even though it’s been over a year since they’ve broken up and decided to be just friends. 

Still, Adena knows about Maddy. As much as she swears off social media, she can’t help but check Kat’s instagram account. She’s seen Kat’s latest girlfriend, an athletic rock climber named Maddy. And while she’s attractive, Adena doesn’t think there’s a person in the world more beautiful than Kat Edison.

“Her loss” she says, and Adena feels the vibrations of Kat’s laugh.

Kat sits up, her shoulder leaning against hers. “She just doesn’t understand us. What we’ve been through, what you mean to me.”

Adena never imagined that she and Kat could get to where they were now. They had both made mistakes in their relationship. They had both not been as honest or communicated in ways that they should have, and when she had left Kat’s apartment she’d thought that was the last time she’d she Kat. 

“I know others may not get it, but I need you in my life.” Kat says, her hands move to Adena’s face, her fingers grazing over Adena’s cheeks before she holds her face in her hands. “You aren’t allowed to leave me, Adena” Kat says starring into her eyes.

“I never will” Adena doesn’t think about how they both know that they shouldn’t promise things, and yet Adena believes  with every fiber of her being, that she will never let Kat Edison go again.

“Good” there’s a light smile on her face, as Kat edges closer. Her lips hover over Adena’s cheek before she changes her mind, and places a small kiss on Adena’s lips, backs away, and slyly smiles, “Just for old times.” and rest her head back on his lap.

“Ahh” Kat shouts, having an epiphany as she points at the screen, “Cary Grant is big dick energy.”

Every time they’re together they are skirting a thin line and if they cross it, Adena thinks staring down at Kat, she wouldn’t mind.


	3. selfish

* * *

Kat spins around with her arms out and dances to music that isn’t playing. She grabs your hand and doesn’t care if they slow up the traffic on 7th ave. She’ll want to watch the cheesiest romcom there is and hold back tears at the end. 

And it’s not that Adena doesn’t know that Kat is a human with complex issues and flaws, but it’s hard to bask in the goodness and pureness of Kat without wanting to keep Kat all to herself. Adena can’t help that Kat makes her selfish.

She couldn’t have kept Kat hidden forever. Because now Adena recognizes that in the dark recesses of her mind that’s what she’d been doing. That’s why she had turned down so many invitations out. It’s why she tried to keep Kat from knowing her friends. 

Even when she told herself that Kat was different than those people. That Kat preferred $11 match drinks, Soulcycle, and after brunch beers at Houston Hall. That Kat already has Sutton and Jane, and her friends from college. That Kat doesn’t need the community that Adena had found. 

But then Adena thinks about the women she’s met. The ways in which they inspired her to be a _proud_ Muslim lesbian. She thinks about how her friends Sam and Hui went with her to purchase her first strap-on. She thinks about the times being in a room, and knowing she was safe with women like her. How could Adena deny Kat experiences like hers?

When hasn’t Kat been welcoming? When hasn’t she walked into a room with confidence and boldly introduced herself to the people around. So it’s not a surprise when she looks over and sees Kat laughing and smiling with a group of girls by the bar. Being friendly and social is who her girlfriend is, and yet Adena feels the tightening of a knot in her stomach. And the dark nagging thought, _When will Kat leave her_?

It’s not Kat’s fault that Adena has chosen her, that Adena sees the world and her life with Kat in away she has never felt with anyone else before. 

At night, Adena holds onto Kat and tells her that she loves her. Kat always whispers back, “I love you, too”.  And yet  Adena wonders if Kat loves her just as deeply and how much longer until Kat finds someone she loves more.


	4. not in love

Once, back when they were still together, Kat had turned to Adena and told her “I love you.”

They were both in the kitchen. Adena was making dinner on the stove, Tahdig, she remembers the taste of the potatoes. 

Kat had meant it, she did love Adena and she especially loved that Adena was cooking after the long day Kat had at Scarlet her stomach had been growling on the subway home. 

Kat remembers the way Adena turned around from the stove at Kat’s word. The way Adena stood staring at her. Her face blank yet her hands balled up at her sides. And then her trance broke sharply, shaking her head she had responded,

“You’re not in love with me.”

She had said it with a tone that screamed “I’ve lived more than you. I’ve been in more relationships with you. You don’t even know what love is”

It’s a tone that would silence most people, but Kat was never most people. 

“I’m as much in love with you, as you’re in love with me.” Kat had challenged.

Adena had stood, holding Kat’s gaze, before she nodded her head in concession. The potatoes had burnt during the time of their small exchanged. But Kat didn’t comment on the food as they ate dinner in silence.

Now that Adena left her, Kat thinks back to that day. She closes her eyes and remembers how Adena stared at her and Kat tries to identify the emotion behind Adena’s eyes.

Sometimes when she’s at work or the gym or getting food with Sutton and Jane, the question _“Did I love her?”_ will find it’s way into her mind. And she hates that 3 months after Adena she still can’t help but think about her. She hates that time has made her question herself.

Because Kat had loved Adena. She had loved her as a soulmate, she had loved her as a friend. As an artist, as a cook, as a plant co-parent. She had loved Adena in the morning, in the night, in New York, in Peru. She had loved her when she should have, and she had loved her when shouldn’t.

She wonders if she didn’t show it enough. If the tears she cried while Adena packed her suitcase weren’t convincing enough, if she didn’t put up a fight enough. 

Maybe there was a secret part of herself that wasn’t ready and Adena saw, because Adena was always the insightful one.  And maybe if Kat had–had–done _something more._

Kat had been so sure when she had challenged Adena. She had been so confident that Adena had loved her, but now she thinks back to that day and wonders; if loving Adena as much as Adena loved her, was really not loving at all. 


End file.
